Gili Islands

...So I finally arrived on the Gili islands. The destination on my ticket was actually Gili Trawangan. I had been told that the fast boat (Don't buy tickets online! Only use Website to check  schedules. see here)would only get me there and that I would have to get a boat from there to visit the other Gili islands. Once we arrived at Gili Trawangan the crew asked the people who planned on going to Gili Air to stay on the boat. I decided to stay on the boat and to go to Gili Air which is smaller and a less touristic. Gili Trawangan is the biggest among the three Gili Islands and also the most touristic one. The least touristic one among the three Gili islands is Gili Meno. Here you can find more of the original nature. People usually only do day trips to Gili Meno and stay on one of the other two islands. Of course you can also just stay there and put up a tent. Gili Meno is not a deserted island. There are also people living there, but not that many.

                       
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When we landed on Gili Trawangan I was already amazed by the beauty of the turquoise blue waters. So, I couldn't wait to see Gili Air, as I was told that it is more rural and natural. The Boat lands on the center of the south coast of Gili Air. You might fell in love with the place at first sight, as you land at a beautiful sand beach, thinking that if the spot where the boats   park is already this nice, how nice will the rest of the island be - The answer is: Not that nice. I'll come to the reason why.

Pictures

Fast boat to Gili

Gili islands 

Gili Trawangan

a  traditional  boat

clear waters

The first thing I did was to look for cheap  accommodation. The cheapest  accommodation on the island you'll find is on the north side. The reason for that is that the nice beach is on the south side where the boats arrive. The residents of the island offer cheap housing for those who don't want to spent too much money in a hotel. The low prices start from 70.000 up to 150.000 IDR per night (Don't forget to bargain!). But if you like you can also spend your night at the beach and safe the money.

Once I got my place to stay, I stashed my stuff in there and went out to explore the island. There is a really beautiful beach on that Island but it's only a small patch with nice and beautiful sand. The further east you go along the beach the more coral pieces you'll find lying on the beach. Soon you'll find yourself walking on a beach completely made of seashell and coral pieces - A graveyard of corals! The grave results of the dynamite fishing are much more obvious on Gili than in Padang Bai.

The coast is practically made up solely of the dead corals. This might look nice for some people, but in the end it's literally a graveyard you'll be walking on.  Skeletons as far as the eye can reach. You might think that I'm exaggerating and that these are  'just' corals and therefore not worth the fuss. Those of you who think like that, I would like you to inform yourselves a bit more on the subject. And would't you also prefer a nice sand beach. One on which you can walk barefooted without hurting your feet and where you can lie down and enjoy the day.

Beach made of dead corals

  

The only nice sand beach is partly occupied by the boats, so that you might have to swim in between them. There are sand beaches on the other  side of the island, but there was lots of seaweed in the water, so that it's not a good spot to go swimming. Otherwise it's a beautiful sight for nature lovers and you will see less people on this side.

While walking along the beach I came across a diving school and there I met a nice guy who invited me to tag along, as they were soon to depart. Regrettably I do not have a diving licence, however, he allowed me to come with them on their boat. We went to a nice diving spot with a nice snorkeling spot nearby. Snorkeling gear can be rented for 30.000 IDR per day. The  underwater world is beautiful there. You'll see lots of marine lifeforms. There are many giant corals and sponges, giant sea stars, sea urchins, sea snails, sea cucumbers and lots of different species of tropical fish. However the scenery  isn't all that perfect. There are large areas with dead corals and many corals are bleached out. A sad sight in an otherwise beautiful place.

After the snorkeling I decided to walk round the island before sunset. Gili Air is a small Island. By leisurely strolling you can make it in about 90 min round the island. You can see lots of sea life at the beach like sea stars, sea urchins, crabs, small fish and more. I was even lucky enough to spot a young moray eel.

I was close in stepping into the water, when I spotted this animal lurking in the water at the coast amongst the dead corals. Soon I realized that it wasn't alone. There were dozens of them in the same spot. I don't exactly know what it is, as I've found no information about it on the internet or anywhere else. But as it lives right at the coast I'm sure that some people might have an idea or know what it is.

My evening and most of the night I've spent at the beach lying in one of the beach chairs. The weather was great and there was a beautiful red moon on that night.

All in all I had a really great time on Gili Air. Despite seeing so much destruction, The Gili Islands are worth a short visit. I was told that the Gili islands are no longer what they used to be. Once  they were a secret tip for Bali  travelers, but now they have become a touristic attraction, especially Gili Trawangan. And with the still increasing tourism I fear it will only get worse. However, I came to Indonesia for one reason - To see the infamous comodo dragons. And for that reason I departed the next day.

The combination of Shuttle bus and Ferry to Labuan Bajo, one of the ports to the Comodo National Park starting on Gili, costs officially 400.000 IDR. Once again, you can get the price further down by bargaining. I managed to get my ticket for 350.000 IDR.

Next: My epic journey to comodo! 
I'll give useful Information for those who plan to visit comodo national park by going over land. 

I'll add some pictures soon :)